Sainsbury - £1m a week in takings predicted

The company predicts the initial annual turnover at the Shripney Road outlet will be 50.7m.

But it says most of that business will come from Tesco to leave the town centre untouched by the arrival of another major retailer on its outskirts.

A statement by Susie Saraiva, of Sainsbury's planning agents, WYG planning and design, says: "In the event that a high-quality operator such as Sainsbury's came to Bognor, offering a quality and choice of main food shopping not currently available to customers, and which would rival the offer at Tesco in particular, we would consider that Bognor would experience an increase in its market share of shoppers undertaking their main food and top-up shopping from within the catchment area.

"The proposal would introduce choice and competition to address the under-provision in the local retail market, which is currently dominated by a single retailer '“ Tesco."

The likely takings have been included among a mass of facts and figures which Sainsbury's has submitted to Arun District Council with the detailed planning application by its regional director, Gary Morris, for the proposed store.

It is likely to be spring when councillors decide whether Sainsbury's can return to Bognor after an absence of 19 years.

But, as reported last month,the decision could be taken out of their hands.

The government's communities and local government minister, Hazel Blears, is thought likely to call in the Sainsbury's application to make sure it adheres to planning guidelines to protect town-centre shopping locations such as the London Road precinct.

Sainsbury's claims the biggest impact of its store would be on the dominant Tesco on the opposite side of the A29 from its preferred site.

The new store would also benefit Bognor by enabling more shoppers to get their groceries locally instead of travelling elsewhere.

Many of the customers at the Sainsbury's store in Chichester travel there from the Bognor area. Data from Nectar card users shows that 48.8 per cent of the store's customers have Bognor area postcodes.

Opening a Sainsbury's in Bognor would keep their spending around the town as well as the smaller number of people who currently go to Sainsbury's in Littlehampton and Rustington.

Allowing the former Lec site to be used for a modern store would also help to regenerate Bognor, Mr Morris states.

"The store will deliver a well-designed, modern and contemporary building, which will provide a visual lift and take advantage of the highly prominent gateway location," he explains.

"A glazed tower feature provides prominence on the A29 approach into Bognor, recognising the gateway nature of the site."

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